Preparation of the US Teachers "Needs Revolutionary Change", Says Secretary of Education

It's really difficult to say why some countries succeed in their education systems and others fail. The answer is not the amount of money the governments invest or other ideas that at first sight can seem reasonable. In fact, scholars just agree in one point as the most important: the preparation of the teachers.

Working as a teacher today is not easy and we should respect this job more than we do. But if education is what pushes a country forward it is necessary to train better the educators. Arne Duncan, the US Education Secretary, addressed yesterday to the teachers' teachers to say clearly that most of the nation's colleges are doing a "mediocre job" and that "America's university-based teacher preparation programs need revolutionary change". In my point of view, the speech of the Education Secretary is a brave example because she delivered at Columbia University's Teachers College. Unfortunately, this kind of "realistic" descriptions are an exception in the world of speeches. This is the reason why I'm talking about the Arne Duncan conference here. Of course, her words will be even more valuable if the shift comes true.